


The Dull Ache

by themystery424



Category: DmC: Devil May Cry
Genre: Gen, and then Kat died, descending into madness, what if Dante died, what if Vergil won
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-23 02:55:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8311165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themystery424/pseuds/themystery424
Summary: A different ending to the reboot DmC: Devil May Cry, which involves Vergil getting exactly what he wants, but not understanding the repercussions of it until its too late. One fatal error sending a man into the depths of insanity, right up to the the end.





	1. Chapter 1

The blade of the Yamato was thin, a silver rivulet as Kat watched it plunge into Dante’s chest. The sleek blade slipped through his heart, cutting in two with ease, exiting his body through the other side. Dante’s eyes were wide in shock, the last image on his retinas being that of his brother, towering over him and looking at him with what must have been remorse. 

“We could have ruled together brother.” He said. “You chose this path.” Vergil dug the blade deeper in his body, the edge of it burrowing into the ground. Dante choked, his eyes becoming more and more dazed as blood filled his body and gathered in his throat, spilling out of his mouth and onto the ground around him. Vergil carefully removed the blade, convinced his brother was dead. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the Yamato down, before carefully sheathing it, resting against his side, unburdened by the act which together with its wielder it had done. This wasn’t the plan, he wasn’t supposed to do this alone. He stared at Dante’s body with a sense of justice. This was the right path to take, if it meant peace and freedom for the humans. 

Humans. Vergil turned to his left, looking at the girl cowering beside the trash can, her eyes wide in fear at the man who would kill his twin brother to see his vision come to life. Vergil took one step towards her, which made her flinch, turning her head away from him. It stopped him from moving any closer.

“Kat…” He said. “Please, you have to understand… He would have stopped the progress. With him out of the way, I can protect you, all of you.” Kat closed her eyes.

“You’re going to end up like Mundus…” She said softly. “I know you will. They all do, all the leaders in history who say things like that, make empty promises like that.” Kat found courage in her words, standing up slowly, though shaking,  and facing him. “You killed him… Just because he didn’t agree with you.”

“He would have stopped me.” Vergil repeated, feeling boxed in. Having already lost his brother, he didn’t want to lose Kat too, the closest thing to what he could consider a friend. The fear in her eyes was plain, highlighting the defiance in her soul. 

“You need to be stopped.” She said. “You… You’ll go down a dark path Vergil. Please realize it now, before it’s too late.” But it was too late. Both of them knew that. As Dante laid there on the cement, his heart in his chest laying in two pieces, the blood creating a circle around his torso as it pooled… It was too late. As Kat stood there, she knew what would happen to her. She looked into Dante’s cold, lifeless eyes. He died trying to protect something he believed in. She would do the same.

“Are you going to try and stop me?” Vergil asked. “Will you Kat? Will you try and stand in my way? You, a pathetic human?” His words cut deep, and he watched as she turned her head away. He paused before speaking again. “Kat… Stay by my side. I’ll protect you, I promise. I’ll consult with you, you and I can rule this world together.” 

“Why?” She asked, turning back to him finally, a resigned fire in her eyes. Vergil stopped, blinking a couple of times as he tried to understand.

“What do you mean why? To keep it in balance, to make sure I don’t become overpowered. You’re the perfect candidate for it.” He said, rationalizing it out to her. “You see it, don’t you?”

“I see that I wasn’t included in this plan when Dante was alive, because when he was alive, there was no threat of you being alone.” She told him. “Now that you are alone, you need someone, and I, a pathetic little human,” She spat, mimicking his tone. “Am the only one left.” Vergil looked down at the Yamato, its blade still tinted from the red of his brother’s blood.

“Kat… I don't want…  I don’t want to kill you. Please don’t make me.” His voice was barely louder than a whisper. 

“You’re going to have to.” She said. “If you don’t, I will stop you. Every day I live, I will fight against what you stand for. Unless you want to fight me, every day, put me down and kick me away every single day, you’ll have to kill me now.” Vergil looked into her eyes, pain obvious in them as he did, looking at her defiant and fearful ones, wondering when things went so wrong. He held his hand out, a summoning sword appearing, hovering in the air. He didn’t fire it, not yet, glancing at it before looking back to her. Kat saw it, her eyes locked onto it as she stood tall. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before closing her eyes. Vergil hesitated a moment more before it fired, moving faster than a bullet as it struck Kat’s chest, shattering as it pierced her heart. She was knocked back onto the ground, dead almost instantly, blood pooling below her.

Vergil looked between the bodies of the ones he called allies, the one he called brother and the one he might have one day called friend. Dante’s mouth was completely filled with blood at this point, though it had stopped spilling over. Red tracks led to the ground from the corners, from where it had initially spilled. Vergil looked to the ground, taking in all the damage that he’d done. When the moment passed, he quietly and calmly walked to where his brother’s body laid, picking it up and teleporting off of the building. Knowing Mundus's office was empty, he teleported up there, laying it down on the floor. He did the same thing with Kat’s body. He watched them as he walked to the desk, sitting behind it as he thought about what he would do. He closed his eyes, resting his head on his hands as he entered deep meditation. Two tears slipped past his eyelids, tears he quickly wiped away. 

“I’ll show you both,” He murmured to ears who could no longer hear. “I’ll show you that this… This was a good idea, and the right path to take. You will regret not standing by my side.” Vergil walked around the office, finding an empty notebook among the files, beginning to plan his rule. His brain was fuzzy as he tried to think of plans, of where to begin, and he knew why.  The bodies in his office would distract him, until he was sure they could find closure. He tore out the page and crumpled it up. He began to plan for two funerals.

 

It took days to get the preparations ready, to get the flowers and the coffins, and even after those days, those long days of staring into cold, dead eyes his dreams, the headstones wouldn’t be in the day of the funerals. Polished marble, the best money could buy. Dante’s was black, the letters engraved in gold, while Kat’s was white, the lettering black. It didn’t matter that they weren’t in, Vergil would have them buried. He would find peace, and he would give them the peace they wanted. The peace they deserved. 

Dante’s coffin was red, the outline of a rose in black decorating the front. Flamboyant and out there, much like he was. Kat’s was much simpler than that, and yet still elegant. Again, white, with black outlining it. It was beautiful, just like she was. 

A funeral for one. A funeral for himself. Vergil stared out the window of the car as the driver took him to the burial site. Funerals were for the living, a part of him said.  _ A guilty conscience for taking away something you can never give back. You know your brother wouldn’t have minded if he were buried in a ditch on the side of the road. A simple pine box would have done for Kat, or even cremation. And yet, you give them fancy headstones with the finest coffins, burying them in the finest clothes. Funerals are for the living, Vergil, for the ones who ache for what they have lost. You have made a fatal mistake.  _

Vergil shook the voice from his head. It didn’t matter what stray thought crossed his mind. This was for his brother and for Kat. This was for  _ their  _ peace. Nothing could convince him otherwise. 

They slowed to a stop at exactly noon. When Vergil stepped out, dressed in a fine suit, carrying a dozen red roses, the sunlight blinded him for a moment. It was strange. In movies it was raining, always raining at funerals. Even though the forecast, for days had called for sun, he’d brought an umbrella for the rain he’d thought would come. It was useless now, the sun shining brightly above without a cloud to obstruct it. He took a breath, collecting himself as he walked to the grave site. 

Their coffins, polished and new, shined brightly in the light. He stood in front of them for a long time, looking between each. It had been so many years since he’d seen his brother, separated at age seven, and all he got was a few months, fighting a threat that would in the end tear them apart. He remembered conversations, playful comments exchanged between them. Like most of the people who attended funerals, nothing negative about Dante entered Vergil’s mind. The petty fights, the disagreements, and even their last duel completely slipped his mind. He placed six of the twelve roses on his brother’s coffin, hesitating before moving on.

“I loved you brother…” He whispered. “I wish you could have seen the truth…” Vergil took a few steps back, looking next at Kat’s coffin. Could it be possible that he loved her? That he valued her more than a pawn, or a tool to be used, manipulated when needed? No, no it wasn’t possible. It couldn’t have been… 

He stepped towards her coffin, placing each of the remaining six roses on her coffin one at a time, remembering the time they spent together, the orders he had barked at her, and how unfair he’d been. Vergil hesitated on the last rose. These weren’t his thoughts. He didn’t love the human, he never had. Not to his memory. She was always a way to get to Dante, to find him, to lure him in with her attractiveness.

_ You found her attractive. You saw her potential, and you helped her grow. Many late nights, talking about occultism in the library, laughing at petty jokes out of sympathy… Or perhaps because you enjoyed the way her face lit up more than you liked the jokes themselves? _

Vergil wrinkled his nose in disgust, setting the last rose down. These were thoughts of those in mourning, reflecting on thoughts and days when it would have made a difference what the outcome would be. It didn’t matter now. What was done was done, and done for the good of humanity.  This would turn out okay. It would be a success, without the help that he had thought he'd need. He could do this on his own. 

“Hey,” Vergil jumped, looking behind him at a guy with a shovel. “Is it just you? Are we waiting for anyone else? It’s hot out, we wanna get this done.” Vergil glanced behind him, seeing more people with shovels. He nodded a couple of times.

“Yes… Yes, I’m the only one… I believe I’m done here. Continue.” He said, turning away from the graves completely as he started back towards the car. He could hear the faint squeak of gears as the coffins were slowly lowered to the ground. The farther it got, the more amplified it seemed in his ears, making him cringe.

_ It didn’t have to end this way.  _

“The fact remains that it did.” He muttered out loud. “The fact remains that I will prove them wrong… And that I didn’t… That I don’t need them.” 

_ I suppose we’ll see about that, now won’t we?  _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> trigger: mentions and the action of suicide

Ten years. Ten years, and Vergil remained the same. Ten years passed and he had developed an algorithm that kept humans in check, distributing wealth throughout the nations evenly. The first couple of weeks, he recalled, were the hardest. The weeks that seemed to never have an end, the weeks he spent at their graves, listening as their last words played in his head. Tired whispers of  _ why, Vergil? Why? _ and pleas for him to listen, to understand that what he’d done was wrong. After a while, their voices faded into memory. He kept himself busy, perfecting the human rhythm, creating a utopia. There was no discrimination, no war, nothing. It was a place of joy and peace. And when someone went against that ideology, well, accidents happen.

Vergil was dressed in a fine black suit, a dark blue tie hanging from his neck, his gloves matching the color. His amulet, instead of being hidden underneath his jacket or shirt, was perfectly visible, never obstructed. As he sat at the chessboard, his posture was relaxed, laid back, his legs spread. On his desk was a couple of bottles of scotch, with fancy shot glasses next to it. Besides that was a bottle of a cheap beer, the number 666 on it. For some reason, after his brother’s death, Vergil had taken to the taste and liked it.

Vergil studied the board, looking up the blue shadow that was his doppelganger. He reflected a Vergil lost a long time ago. His eyes were still bright. He wore his old coat, and carried himself the same way he had. His lips would even occasionally twitch up into a smile. Vergil himself didn’t remember the last time he’d smiled. Could it have been… Yes, yes it was, he thought. It was before their final fight. They had defeated Mundus, and Dante… Well, he couldn’t see reason. Vergil watched his doppelganger reach out, moving a piece, before looking up at Vergil expectantly. Vergil relaxed back in his seat, watching with a hand on his chin. He hadn’t won a game against his doppelganger in so long, he didn’t know why he still tried. 

He stood up, trying to think of a move as he walked around the room. Any trace of Mundus had been purged of the office, the building now belonging to Vergil and Vergil alone. Where the gate to hell had been was replaced by a large shelf, housing many interesting and rare things, most of them uniquely human. Knick knacks, pressed flowers, shells, rocks, postcards, etc. Vergil walked to the bowl of marbles. Almost all of them were a pale, mint green, almost white. He picked one of them up, looking at it with a heavy heart. Something stung at him more today, and he couldn’t quite place it.

_ Ten years today. Ten years ago today, they died. You killed them.  _ Vergil glanced over his shoulder, barely moving his head, letting his eyes do most of the wandering. Behind him was his doppleganger, having also left the chess table.  _ Have you noticed yet that they’re the color of her eyes?  _ Vergil looked again at the marble in his hand, before gently laying it in the bowl.  _ Strange, the little ways you think of them, though you have tried to rid them of your thoughts.  _

“They could not see the truth… I have achieved something remarkable, and they will never see it.” He walked around to his desk, sitting down and glancing at himself in the mirror. He looked tired, a few bags under his eyes. He often had trouble sleeping at night. Other than that, he hadn’t changed since that day. He turned his head away and back to the computer screen. Numbers rolled, peace was kept, no bugs in the system. He should have been proud, but instead he felt empty. This was what power felt like. Vergil grabbed his calendar book, glancing through the pages. Nothing. Nothing scheduled. 

_ Will you visit them today?  _ Vergil stopped flipping through pages, his body frozen in place for a moment as he thought.  _ It’s been eight years since you last went out there. It’d only be respectful, don’t you think?  _ Vergil nodded some.

“Yes… Ten is a long time… It’d only be respectful.” He murmured out loud. Vergil called for his driver, making his doppleganger merging with him again, leaving their game unfinished. They had eternity, eventually they’d get back to it. He picked up the Yamato, holding it tightly in his hands as he walked down to the parking garage. He got in the backseat of the car, sitting with the Yamato across his lap.

“Where to sir?” The driver asked.

“The cemetery… First the flower shop, then the cemetery.” He didn’t have to specify which. The driver, like everyone under his employment, knew of the tragedy that had befallen his brother. While they didn’t know the specifics, but they knew enough keep out of Vergil's way. The drive was silent to the flower shop.  Once inside, he began looking at the bouquets available. He sighed, unsure what to get.

_ You’re so tired now… All your work is done. This is just… Routine now, isn’t it? Doesn’t even invoke feeling anymore. Just a sense of emptiness. _

“What flowers should I get?” He asked, his eyes half closed. “Which would be best for Kat, and which for Dante?”

_ Perhaps forget-me-nots, for they’ll never forget what you did to them.  _ Vergil made a face at the suggestion, picking up some generic red roses instead. He got back in the car, again, riding in silence as they made their way to the cemetery. When they pulled up to the grave site, Vergil exited the car with a heavy heart.

“Should I stay sir?” His driver asked. 

“No, no… I’ll call, when I’m ready.” He said, his voice low, reflecting nothing. The driver pulled away, leaving Vergil standing there, the roses in his hands. He hesitated before beginning the walk to the graves. When he saw them, he felt his heart sink. The scene was serene, as if pulled from a movie. The grass was still wet from the rain the night before, making it shine in the sunlight. The same rain made the stones gleam, even more beautiful than Vergil had remembered. He split the bouquet in half, giving Dante six roses and Kat the remainder. He sat between their graves, his pants immediately becoming soaked but he didn’t mind. Like a small child, he pulled his knees to his chest.

“I wish… I wish you could see the progress I’ve made, Dante…” He said softly, solemnly. “I wish you could have helped me. I finished it all, you know. I came up with the perfect algorithm, stopped hate and war, poverty and abundant wealth. Everyone is happy… Everyone…”

_ Except you.  _ Vergil flinched at the voice in his head.  _ Everyone except the boy with no one. No brother, no friends, no family. What if that boy didn’t have to be alone anymore?  _ Vergil blinked a couple of times, his eyebrows furrowed together as he thought over the voice’s words. With no warning, and without his control, Vergil felt his doppleganger separate from him, making him panic.

“I didn’t summon you.” He said, trying to pull it back, failing. “Leave me to my… My visitation…” 

_ To your mourning. Mourning of the life you want again. It could happen. You could give yourself peace.  _ Vergil watched his doppleganger unsheath its version of the Yamato, slicing into its own flesh. Vergil cringed, feeling the pain though no harm was brought on itself.

“You want… You want me to…” He looked down at Yamato, sheathed by his side.

_ To kill yourself.  _ Vergil looked up again, the words sounding different somehow, stranger, and he saw why. His doppleganger was no longer his doppleganger, reflecting Dante, with a giant hole in his chest. “Quick and easy. I’m sure you’ll hardly feel a thing. Even if you do, it goes away quickly. Trust me.” He smirked, a smirk Vergil remembered. Vergil was stunned.

“Dante… Dante please… I thought I was doing the right thing, and I have done right. By all of humanity. They’re so much better now.” The Dante-double ganger moved to lay on his grave, leaning against the headstone, his arms over his head and his legs crossed.

“Are they? Are they happier, living a lie, living the illusion of freedom and choice?” Vergil looked down to the grass, having not thought of that before. “Doesn’t matter now. Your mission is done. You’re suffering, Vergil. Why should the savior suffer such hardships?” His brother’s visage turned to look at him. “Come on, join us. You don’t have to suffer alone anymore.”

“Us?” Vergil asked. While he had looked away, his dopple ganger had split, creating another image. He could feel a cold hand on his cheek, making him turn and look to the otherside of him. “Kat…” Kat was laying across her grave as well, smiling shyly.

“Hello Vergil.” She said softly. Vergil turned his body completely to face her, looking at her in awe. “You look so tired…”

“He probably doesn’t sleep well at night.” The Dante-ganger said. “You know, he did kill us.” Vergil looked down at the grass again, shame crossing his face, even regret. The Kat-ganger tut-tutted.

“Leave him be Dante. He was only doing what he thought was right, following the mission he thought was set before him.” Vergil looked up at her again, his eyes wide in childish fear and wonder. She smiled, running her cold hand through his hair. “But that mission is done… The humans will function on their own for many years, they will keep the peace you’ve given them… Reward yourself, give yourself the peace _you_ deserve.”  Vergil looked down at Yamato, and then at the Dante-ganger. 

“I’m confused… I don’t think… I don’t think I should. Everything tells me I shouldn’t…” The Dante-ganger turned on his side, holding his head up and his knee bent. 

“You’ve worked hard, you’ve earned the rest. C’mon, little brother. I promise we’ll be waiting for you on the otherside.” Vergil still looked hesitant, scared even as he unsheathed the Yamato. He glanced at the Kat-ganger first, who nodded encouragingly. Then he looked at the Dante-ganger, who smiled. “Who woulda known that both sons of Sparda would die by the same blade, same hand even?” Vergil choked on a laugh, a few tears appearing in his eyes.

“Not me…” He said. 

“No, me neither.” The Kat-ganger smiled, reaching out and gently rubbing his back to soothe him. “Go on, Vergil… We’re waiting for you.” Vergil nodded a little. He took a deep breath before he he pointed the Yamato to his own abdomen. He closed his eyes before forcing it inside of him, making him gasp as the pain traveled through his body. He began to choke, his body shaking. 

“Sh, sh…” The Dante-ganger laid Vergil down slowly. “There there… Give it a second, it’ll be over soon.” Vergil’s eyes were wide in shock and fear, his body twitching some. Kat continued rubbing his back, trying to soothe him. As the light started to go out in his eyes, he watched the visage of his brother and Kat slowly meld together, back into the one, true doppleganger, who reflected himself.

_ You can finally rest easy now. Your fight is over.  _ Vergil’s eyes fluttered a little before he closed them permanently. The doppleganger disappeared, leaving Vergil alone, bleeding out between the graves of the only one he could ever call friend, and his twin brother. 


End file.
